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Authors Posts by Cindi Hobbes

Cindi Hobbes

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The Office of Child Development & Early Learning notified all County Early Intervention (EI) programs and providers regarding next steps for past claims that failed the auto-correction to update payment to the new rate approved for 2025–26.

As expected, there were many ICNs that failed the Mass Claims Adjustment. The Bureau has prepared a document for each EI program to distribute to their contracted providers. The document includes the provider’s name, the original ICN that did not successfully mass adjust, and the Error Status Codes (ESC) that prevented the claim adjustment. EI Programs should work together with providers to resolve these claims errors. After successful resolution of the claims error, providers will be responsible for performing their own claims adjustment for the claims that failed the Mass Claims Adjustment.

Next Steps:

  1. EI County Programs can access their document within DocuShare using these instructions: OCDEL – Bureau of Early Intervention Services- Infant/Toddler & Preschool General Information – PROGRAM NAME – Adhoc Query Results.
  2. EI county programs should immediately download the file and share each provider’s information separately. DO NOT forward the entire document to all providers.
  3. EI providers and county programs should work together to resolve the claims errors.
  4. EI providers will submit their own claims adjustment according to timelines. It is recommended that claims are prioritized by date of service, focusing on July and August claims first and then moving to claims later within the 2025/26 fiscal year.

Resource documentation regarding ESCs that resulted in the failed Mass Claims Adjustment is available by accessing the Learning Management System within this course: PELICAN EI Provider: Financial Management.

Moving forward:

  1. Using the newly published Fiscal Year 2025/26 Fee Schedule – file NEW claims on or after 3/9/26 that contain a date of service on or after 7/1/25.
  2. Using the newly published Fiscal Year 2025/26 Fee Schedule – adjust claims filed on or after 3/9/26 that contain a date of service on or after 7/1/25 if the OLD fee schedule was used.

IMPORTANT REMINDER:

OCDEL reminds providers of the timely filling of all claims. The regulation at 55 Pa. Code § 1101.68 (relating to invoicing for services) establishes requirements for submitting claims for services rendered. Early Intervention evaluations, IFSP services, and Service Coordination claims are all required to follow this regulation.

  1. A provider shall submit original or initial invoices to be received by the Department within a maximum of 180 days after the date the services were rendered or compensable items provided.

Resubmission of a rejected original claim or a claim adjustment shall be received by the Department within 365 days of the date of service.

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Photo by Larry Crayton on Unsplash

Family-Centered Care: One Organization’s Revolutionary Approach to Include Families in All Aspects of Care

Due to a widespread technical malfunction, this webinar was rescheduled from Monday, April 20, to Monday, April 27. If you wished to attend the webinar and were unable to make the April 20 date, you can now register for April 27 at 1:00 pm!

Monday, April 27, 2026
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST; 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm CDT;
11:00 am – 12:00 pm MDT; 10:00 am – 11:00 am PDT
Register Here

Donna Provenzano, Director of Family-Centered Care

Donna Provenzano is the Director of Family-Centered Care at Children’s Specialized Hospital. She has thirty-nine years of experience in working with children, adolescents, young adults, and their families at Children’s Specialized. Donna serves on several hospital leadership committees and councils and provides administrative and operational management of Family-Centered Care and Volunteers. She supervises and partners with Family Faculty staff and coordinates with the Family Advisory Council. Donna has presented both nationally and internationally on Patient- and Family-Centered Care. Under Donna’s leadership, her department received the IPFCC Family-Centered Care Partnership Award for Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) in 2022. Donna has received additional leadership certifications from the Harvard Business School. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Ithaca College.

Linda Waddell, Family Faculty Manager

Linda Waddell is the Family Faculty Manager at Children’s Specialized Hospital. She has been employed at the hospital as a Family Faculty since June of 2008 and a member of the Children’s Specialized Hospital’s Family Advisory Council since 2014. On behalf of the hospital, Linda has presented with her team on Patient- and Family-Centered Care at regional, national, and international conferences. Most recently, Linda was a member of a panel that presented at the 2024 RISE Summit “Addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH): A Look into Children’s Specialized Hospital’s Program in NJ and Beyond.” Linda participates in various hospital committees and is also a member of the IPRC Steering Committee, where she provides a family member’s perspective for discussions and decision-making.

Linda was the 2019 recipient of the Lester Z. Lieberman Humanism in Healthcare Award and received the IPFCC 30th Anniversary 2022 Partnership Award on Social Determinants of Health. Linda received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Kean University. Linda’s first experience with Children’s Specialized Hospital began in 1999, receiving multiple services for her newborn, medically fragile baby. She became an expert in the experience of pediatric rehabilitation through caring for her daughter with medical complications.

Family Faculty at Children’s Specialized Hospital are paid positions held by parents and family members whose children have received or are still receiving services at Children’s Specialized Hospital Inpatient, Outpatient, or Long-Term Care sites. Their own day-to-day experiences provide a unique perspective, understanding, and empathy for families going through similar situations. Family Faculty partner with staff and families to build a respectful and understanding relationship by listening, providing insights, and encouraging positive communication between staff and families.

Objectives: At the end of this session, the learner will identify strategies to:

  • Embed Patient- and Family-Centered Care into your organization;
  • Cultivate respectful partnerships and collaboration with leadership, staff, and families;
  • Include families in education and training of staff at all levels; and
  • Engage families and staff in creating valuable resources.

Audience: This webinar is intended for all interested members of the rehabilitation team.

Level: Beginner-Intermediate

Certificate of Attendance: Certificates of attendance are available for all attendees. No CEs are provided for this course.

Complimentary webinars are a benefit of membership in IPRC/RCPA. Registration fee for non-members is $179. Not a member yet? Consider joining today.

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The Office of Child Development & Early Learning (OCDEL) notified all County Early Intervention (EI) Programs and Providers that they will perform one final Mass Claims Adjustment on April 21, 2026.

As a result of the final analysis of the denied claims file, they were able to identify that many of the denied claims can be processed again and should result in a Paid claim. This final Mass Claims Adjustment will significantly reduce the manual efforts for both the County and EI Provider.

Immediately following this final Mass Claims Adjustment, a revised and final report of denied claims will be issued to all County EI programs to distribute to their contracted providers. 

Reminder of Next Steps:

  • Using the newly published Fiscal Year 2025/26 Fee Schedule — File NEW claims on or after March 9, 2026, that contain a date of service on or after July 1, 2025.
  • Using the newly published Fiscal Year 2025/26 Fee Schedule — Adjust claims filed on or after March 9, 2026, that contain a date of service on or after July 1, 2025, if the OLD fee schedule was used.

The Bureau thanks all stakeholders for their patience as they work to streamline the process and expedite the payments for provided Early Intervention services.

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Palliative Care Through the Rehab Continuum: Caring for Children With Complex Needs

Thursday, May 14, 2026
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT; 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT;
10:00 am – 11:00 am MDT; 9:00 am – 10:00 am PDT
Register Here

Kara Monnin, PhD
Kara Monnin is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH) and Ohio State University’s School of Medicine in Columbus, OH. She provides clinical services across multiple inpatient units, including Complex Healthcare, Inpatient Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and acute care services (PICU, Trauma/Surgery/Neurosurgery). Dr. Monnin also serves as a member of the Advanced Illness Management/Palliative Care Team at NCH, and she specializes in traumatic brain injury, rehabilitation populations, and children and adolescents with complex medical needs.

Ryan Jenkins, MD
Ryan Jenkins is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and a pediatric hospice and palliative medicine physician on the Advanced Illness Management Palliative Care Team at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He provides inpatient, outpatient, and home-based palliative and hospice care to patients and families across the Nationwide Children’s healthcare system. His academic work includes the teaching of primary palliative care skills to learners of different disciplines and backgrounds.

Objectives: At the end of this session, the learner will:

  • Engage with palliative care providers (in the full scope of their practice) throughout the spectrum of illness, not just at end of life;
  • Recognize common medical and psychological paradigms at key stages of illness;
  • Understand how the goals of medical care after a significant neurological illness can change over time to include elements of recovery, stabilization, and/or prioritizing comfort; and
  • Identify key takeaways for practice across the rehab continuum.

Audience: This webinar is intended for all interested members of the rehabilitation team.

Level: Beginner-Intermediate

Certificate of Attendance: Certificates of attendance are available for all attendees. No CEs are provided for this course.

Complimentary webinars are a benefit of membership in IPRC/RCPA. Registration fee for non-members is $179. Not a member yet? Consider joining today.

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Due to a widespread technical outage, IPRC will need to reschedule the “Family-Centered Care” webinar that was scheduled for today, April 20, at 11:00 am. The new date and time will be Monday, April 27, at 1:00 pm. If you have already registered, you do not need to re-register.

We apologize for the inconvenience. Please contact Cindi Hobbes if you have any questions.

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Photo by Larry Crayton on Unsplash

Family-Centered Care: One Organization’s Revolutionary Approach to Include Families in All Aspects of Care

Monday, April 20, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm EDT; 10:00 am – 11:00 am CDT;
9:00 am – 10:00 am MDT; 8:00 am – 9:00 am PDT 
Register Here

Donna Provenzano, Director of Family-Centered Care

Donna Provenzano is the Director of Family-Centered Care at Children’s Specialized Hospital. She has thirty-nine years of experience in working with children, adolescents, young adults, and their families at Children’s Specialized. Donna serves on several hospital leadership committees and councils and provides administrative and operational management of Family-Centered Care and Volunteers. She supervises and partners with Family Faculty staff and coordinates with the Family Advisory Council. Donna has presented both nationally and internationally on Patient- and Family-Centered Care. Under Donna’s leadership, her department received the IPFCC Family-Centered Care Partnership Award for Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) in 2022. Donna has received additional leadership certifications from the Harvard Business School. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Ithaca College.

Linda Waddell, Family Faculty Manager

Linda Waddell is the Family Faculty Manager at Children’s Specialized Hospital. She has been employed at the hospital as a Family Faculty since June of 2008 and a member of the Children’s Specialized Hospital’s Family Advisory Council since 2014. On behalf of the hospital, Linda has presented with her team on Patient- and Family-Centered Care at regional, national, and international conferences. Most recently, Linda was a member of a panel that presented at the 2024 RISE Summit “Addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH): A Look into Children’s Specialized Hospital’s Program in NJ and Beyond.” Linda participates in various hospital committees and is also a member of the IPRC Steering Committee, where she provides a family member’s perspective for discussions and decision-making.

Linda was the 2019 recipient of the Lester Z. Lieberman Humanism in Healthcare Award and received the IPFCC 30th Anniversary 2022 Partnership Award on Social Determinants of Health. Linda received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Kean University. Linda’s first experience with Children’s Specialized Hospital began in 1999, receiving multiple services for her newborn, medically fragile baby. She became an expert in the experience of pediatric rehabilitation through caring for her daughter with medical complications.

Family Faculty at Children’s Specialized Hospital are paid positions held by parents and family members whose children have received or are still receiving services at Children’s Specialized Hospital Inpatient, Outpatient, or Long-Term Care sites. Their own day-to-day experiences provide a unique perspective, understanding, and empathy for families going through similar situations. Family Faculty partner with staff and families to build a respectful and understanding relationship by listening, providing insights, and encouraging positive communication between staff and families.

Objectives: At the end of this session, the learner will identify strategies to:

  • Embed Patient- and Family-Centered Care into your organization;
  • Cultivate respectful partnerships and collaboration with leadership, staff, and families;
  • Include families in education and training of staff at all levels; and
  • Engage families and staff in creating valuable resources.

Audience: This webinar is intended for all interested members of the rehabilitation team.

Level: Beginner-Intermediate

Certificate of Attendance: Certificates of attendance are available for all attendees. No CEs are provided for this course.

Complimentary webinars are a benefit of membership in IPRC/RCPA. Registration fee for non-members is $179. Not a member yet? Consider joining today.

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The Office of Child Development & Early Learning (OCDEL) has completed the Mass Claims Adjustment for all PAID CLAIMS of Early Intervention (EI) services that contain a date of service between July 1, 2025 – March 8, 2026 and were filed on or before March 8, 2026.

Due the high volume of claims, the Mass Claims Adjustment was processed in daily batches with a summary of claims below:

  • Week 1: March 16, 2026
    • Claims Adjusted for Speech Therapy
    • Claims Adjusted for Occupational Therapy
    • Claims Adjusted for Physical Therapy
  • Week 2: March 23, 2026
    • Claims Adjusted for Special Instruction
    • Claims Adjusted for Audiology/Evaluation/Teaming
    • Claims Adjusted for Service Coordination

A complete review of the Mass Claims Adjustment was performed during the week of March 30, and a final batch of claims were processed on April 7, representing claims with a date of services of July 1, 2025.

Reminder of Next Steps:

  • Using the newly published Fiscal Year 2025/26 Fee Schedule, file NEW claims on or after March 9, 2026, that contain a date of service on or after July 1, 2025.
  • Using the newly published Fiscal Year 2025/26 Fee Schedule, adjust claims filed on or after March 9, 2026, that contain a date of service on or after July 1, 2025, if the OLD fee schedule was used.

IMPORATANT:

As expected, OCDEL reports that there are many ICNs that failed the Mass Claims Adjustment. The Bureau is preparing a document for each County to distribute to their contracted providers that includes the original ICN that did not successfully Mass Adjust. Detailed instructions will be included with this document for how the Infant Toddler program and EI Provider can work together to resolve the claims errors. After successful resolution of the claims error, providers will be responsible for performing their own Claims Adjustment for the claims that failed the Mass Claims Adjustment.

View the following links for more information:

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Friday, April 10 at 5:00 pm is the deadline to complete and submit nominations for the Rural Health Transformation Plan (RHTP) Advisory Council and RHTP Rural Care Collaboratives (RCC).

Advisory Council (Statewide): This is a not a decision-making body.
The Advisory Council will provide subject matter expertise (SME) to the RCCs. The Council’s feedback is intended to inform and enhance RCC regional plans to ensure planned projects have the best chance of succeeding and will be sustainable after the 5-year RHTP funding is no longer available.

  • Meeting Cadence: The Advisory Council will meet once a month during the RCC plan development period. Once plans are solidified, the Advisory Council will meet quarterly to help address implementation concerns.
  • Council Member Expectations: Provide technical assistance (TA) to the RCCs in the member’s identified area of expertise. TA can be provided in multiple formats. This could be open discussion during RHTP meetings, written questions and answers, or a more hands-on knowledge transfer.
  • Conflict of Interest: If chosen for the Advisory Council, members must provide their formal CV for documentation, a brief bio, and disclosure of any conflicts of interest. All conflicts of interest also must be communicated verbally during meetings and TA communication with RCCs.

The Advisory Council needs SME representation in:

  • Aging and Access
  • Behavioral Health
  • EMS and Transportation
  • Technology and Infrastructure
  • Maternal Health
  • Workforce

Rural Care Collaboratives (Regional): This is a planning body.
There will be 8 RCCs established with the purpose of:

  • Identifying regional priorities based on healthcare gaps;
  • Developing a regional plan to address prioritized needs; and
  • Recommending/identifying projects to the RHTP interagency project team to operationalize the regional plan that works towards Pennsylvania’s identified outcomes.

Complete the RHTP Advisory Council and RCC Nomination form here.

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On March 31, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8–1 against a Colorado law that prohibited licensed mental health professionals from providing “conversion therapy” to minors. The case, Chiles v. Salazar, centered on whether the state could restrict certain counseling conversations aimed at changing a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

Key points of the decision:

  • The Court held that Colorado’s law violated the First Amendment, concluding it restricted counselors’ speech based on viewpoint.
  • The majority, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, said the statute regulated what therapists could say, which triggered strict constitutional scrutiny.
  • The Court determined the state’s attempt to frame the ban as regulation of professional conduct was insufficient because the therapy involved speech rather than physical treatment.
  • Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued the lone dissent, arguing states should be able to regulate harmful healthcare practices and protect minors.

The ruling may affect similar bans in more than 20 other states, putting them at risk of legal challenges. Supporters say the decision protects free speech and religious expression in counseling. Critics, including medical and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, warn that it could weaken protections for youth from practices widely considered harmful.

View Pennsylvania’s stance on conversion therapy.

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Photo by Larry Crayton on Unsplash

Family-Centered Care: One Organization’s Revolutionary Approach to Include Families in All Aspects of Care

Monday, April 20, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm EDT; 10:00 am – 11:00 am CDT;
9:00 am – 10:00 am MDT; 8:00 am – 9:00 am PDT 
Register Here

Donna Provenzano, Director of Family-Centered Care

Donna Provenzano is the Director of Family-Centered Care at Children’s Specialized Hospital. She has thirty-nine years of experience in working with children, adolescents, young adults, and their families at Children’s Specialized. Donna serves on several hospital leadership committees and councils and provides administrative and operational management of Family-Centered Care and Volunteers. She supervises and partners with Family Faculty staff and coordinates with the Family Advisory Council. Donna has presented both nationally and internationally on Patient- and Family-Centered Care. Under Donna’s leadership, her department received the IPFCC Family-Centered Care Partnership Award for Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) in 2022. Donna has received additional leadership certifications from the Harvard Business School. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Ithaca College.

Linda Waddell, Family Faculty Manager

Linda Waddell is the Family Faculty Manager at Children’s Specialized Hospital. She has been employed at the hospital as a Family Faculty since June of 2008 and a member of the Children’s Specialized Hospital’s Family Advisory Council since 2014. On behalf of the hospital, Linda has presented with her team on Patient- and Family-Centered Care at regional, national, and international conferences. Most recently, Linda was a member of a panel that presented at the 2024 RISE Summit “Addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH): A Look into Children’s Specialized Hospital’s Program in NJ and Beyond.” Linda participates in various hospital committees and is also a member of the IPRC Steering Committee, where she provides a family member’s perspective for discussions and decision-making.

Linda was the 2019 recipient of the Lester Z. Lieberman Humanism in Healthcare Award and received the IPFCC 30th Anniversary 2022 Partnership Award on Social Determinants of Health. Linda received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Kean University. Linda’s first experience with Children’s Specialized Hospital began in 1999, receiving multiple services for her newborn, medically fragile baby. She became an expert in the experience of pediatric rehabilitation through caring for her daughter with medical complications.

Family Faculty at Children’s Specialized Hospital are paid positions held by parents and family members whose children have received or are still receiving services at Children’s Specialized Hospital Inpatient, Outpatient, or Long-Term Care sites. Their own day-to-day experiences provide a unique perspective, understanding, and empathy for families going through similar situations. Family Faculty partner with staff and families to build a respectful and understanding relationship by listening, providing insights, and encouraging positive communication between staff and families.

Objectives: At the end of this session, the learner will identify strategies to:

  • Embed Patient- and Family-Centered Care into your organization;
  • Cultivate respectful partnerships and collaboration with leadership, staff, and families;
  • Include families in education and training of staff at all levels; and
  • Engage families and staff in creating valuable resources.

Audience: This webinar is intended for all interested members of the rehabilitation team.

Level: Beginner-Intermediate

Certificate of Attendance: Certificates of attendance are available for all attendees. No CEs are provided for this course.

Complimentary webinars are a benefit of membership in IPRC/RCPA. Registration fee for non-members is $179. Not a member yet? Consider joining today.

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